We all suffer. It’s something we can’t get away from. Right now, people are suffering with an illness, maybe with the COVID-19 virus. People are mourning the death of a loved one. Others have lost their job or had their hours drastically reduced and trying to figure out how to pay rent and keep food on the table. Parents with younger children are struggling with making decision to send their kids into a classroom or keep them home on a computer. People have lost their homes in terrible storms. The list goes on and on. And if you watch any news, they are quick to remind of the suffering going on in the world and perhaps why you should be suffering as well. However, a friend sent me some words of encouragement today that were very meaningful to her, “Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.” It was a quote from St. Augustine who we remember today. Too often, when I’m feeling particularly sorry for myself, I wonder where God is and why He doesn’t stop my suffering. However, if I don’t turn my back on Him, I come to realize that these times have the potential of bringing me closer to Him. That is what I need to remember.

I Found God today in a great quote about suffering.